OLIMEX A10-OLINUXINO-LIME User Manual
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OLIMEX A10-OLINUXINO-LIME User Manual

Open-source single-board android/linux mini-computer
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Open-source single-board Android/Linux mini-computer
USER'S MANUAL
Revision H, March 2015
Designed by OLIMEX Ltd, 2015
All boards produced by Olimex LTD are ROHS compliant

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Summary of Contents for OLIMEX A10-OLINUXINO-LIME

  • Page 1 A10-OLINUXINO-LIME A10-OLINUXINO-LIME-4GB Open-source single-board Android/Linux mini-computer USER’S MANUAL Revision H, March 2015 Designed by OLIMEX Ltd, 2015 All boards produced by Olimex LTD are ROHS compliant...

  • Page 2: Disclaimer

    This document is intended only to assist the reader in the use of the product. OLIMEX Ltd. shall not be liable for any loss or damage arising from the use of any information in this document or any error or omission in such information or any incorrect use of the product.

  • Page 3: Table Of Contents

    2.7 GPIO under Debian ....................... 13 2.8 I2C and SPI under Debian ....................14 2.9 Software support ........................15 CHAPTER 3: A10-OLINUXINO-LIME BOARD DESCRIPTION ..... 16 3. Introduction to the chapter ..................... 16 3.1 Layout (top view) ........................16 3.2 Layout (bottom view) ......................17 CHAPTER 4: THE ALLWINNER A10 MICROCONTROLLER .......
  • Page 4 OLIMEX© 2015 A10-OLinuXino-LIME user's manual 6.3 PWR jack ..........................23 6.4 USB_OTG connector ......................24 6.5 USB_HOST connectors ......................26 6.6 Ethernet ..........................26 6.7 HDMI connector ........................29 6.8 SATA connector and power ....................30 6.9 GPIO ports ..........................31 6.9.1 GPIO-1 (General Purpose Input/Output) 40pin connector ..............

  • Page 5: Chapter 1: Overview

    Thank you for choosing this OLinuXino single board computer from Olimex! This document provides a user’s guide for the Olimex A10 LIME board. As an overview, this chapter gives the scope of this document and lists the board’s features. The document’s organization is then detailed.

  • Page 6: Target Market And Purpose Of The Board

    GitHub page of the board (https://github.com/OLIMEX/OLINUXINO/tree/master/HARDWARE). Please note that A10-OLinuXino-LIME design is almost identical to the design of its predecessor A20-OLinuXino-LIME – the only difference being the processor. Even then the processors are pin- to-pin compatible.

  • Page 7: Document Organization

    OLIMEX© 2015 A10-OLinuXino-LIME user's manual 1.5 Document organization Each section in this document covers a separate topic, organized as follows: – Chapter 1 is an overview of the board usage and features – Chapter 2 provides a guide for quickly setting up the board and software notes –...

  • Page 8: Chapter 2: Setting Up The Olinuxino Board

    In rare cases different polarity might cause hardware damage to the board. 2.2 Requirements In order to set up the A10-OLinuXino-LIME optimally one or more additional items may be used. They might be generally placed in three categories: Required – items that are needed in order to achieve minimum functionality;...
  • Page 9 A10-Android-SD – a tested class 10 micro SD card with the latest (by the time of leaving the Olimex facilities) official Android release A10-Debian-SD – a tested class 10 micro SD card with the latest (by the time of leaving Olimex facilities) official Debian Linux release USB-SERIAL-CABLE-F –...

  • Page 10: Powering The Board

    A10-OLinuXino-LIME user's manual 2.3 Powering the board There are three possible ways of powering A10-OLinuXino-LIME – via external supply providing 5V DC at the power jack, from 5V USB port via USB_OTG connector or from 3.7V Li-Po battery via the LIPO_BAT. Note that the board might consume up to 650mA of current at 5V when there are no peripherals connected to the USB hosts.

  • Page 11: Button Functions

    NAND memory. 2.5 Changing the default image resolution Depending on the display or the screen you want to use with the A10-OlinuXino-LIME, you might need to apply software changes to the prebuilt Android or Linux image.

  • Page 12: Connecting And Calibrating A Display

    (0.05''). The corresponding connectors in previous OLinuXino boards had a step of 0.1''. This means that if you use a display made by OLIMEX, you would need additional hardware to adapt the pin-step accordingly. You can either make such adapter (or cable)

  • Page 13: Android Calibration

    With newer Olimex-made displays you can use a single cable with 0.05'' step. The new revsions of displays have both 0.1'' step connector and 0.05'' step connectors.

  • Page 14: I2C And Spi Under Debian

    OLIMEX© 2015 A10-OLinuXino-LIME user's manual If the input signal is to high, you will at least destroy the port! The algorithms for writing a value to a GPIO port and reading such a value are pretty similar. The usage of GPIO ports follows the algorithm (we would use GPIO #49 for demonstration purposes): 1.

  • Page 15: Software Support

    We usually try to provide details on how to build the Linux and the Android images at our wordpress page: http://olimex.wordpress.com/. Another useful place is the Olimex forums where a lot of people share their experience and advice: https://www.olimex.com/forum/. Additional Android and Linux support and features are added overtime. The Linux support is a work-in-progress and you should not expect full Linux support after the initial volume of such boards have become available on the market.

  • Page 16: Chapter 3: A10-Olinuxino-Lime Board Description

    OLIMEX© 2015 A10-OLinuXino-LIME user's manual CHAPTER 3: A10-OLINUXINO-LIME BOARD DESCRIPTION 3. Introduction to the chapter Here you get acquainted with the main parts of the board. Note the names used on the board might differ from the names used below to describe them. For the actual names check the A10- OLinuXino-LIME board itself.

  • Page 17: Layout (Bottom View)

    OLIMEX© 2015 A10-OLinuXino-LIME user's manual 3.2 Layout (bottom view) At the bottom are located mainly the buttons and microSD card connector. You should be careful of the surface that you use to place the board. Page 17 of 45...

  • Page 18: Chapter 4: The Allwinner A10 Microcontroller

    OLIMEX© 2015 A10-OLinuXino-LIME user's manual CHAPTER 4: THE ALLWINNER A10 MICROCONTROLLER 4. Introduction to the chapter In this chapter is located the information about the heart of OLinuXino – its microcontroller. The information is a modified version of the datasheet provided by its manufacturers.
  • Page 19 OLIMEX© 2015 A10-OLinuXino-LIME user's manual More information can be found on Allwinner's web site at the following web-address: http://www.allwinnertech.com/en/product/A10.html. A good source of information on the processor is the linux sunxi wiki article: http://linux- sunxi.org/A10. Page 19 of 45...

  • Page 20: Chapter 5: Control Circuity

    A10 processor. It is mounted on the board but since it is relatively hard to find we also sell it separately. The power supply circuit of A10-OLinuXino-LIME requires input supply of 5V. The minimum wattage is 2.5W, and this threshold may raise if using a lot of devices on the USB-HOST (via external hub), a lot of GPIOs or you have a display connected to the LCD_CON or a hard disk powered from the 5V_SATA_PWR connector.

  • Page 21: Chapter 6: Connectors And Pinout

    OLIMEX© 2015 A10-OLinuXino-LIME user's manual CHAPTER 6: CONNECTORS AND PINOUT 6. Introduction to the chapter In this chapter are presented the connectors that can be found on the board all together with their pinout and notes about them. Jumpers functions are described. Notes and info on specific peripherals are presented.

  • Page 22: Microsd Card Connector

    When in doubt – try the same operation with another card from another brand. Olimex sells microSD cards with Linux or Android images, that have been tested – please refer to chapter “2.2 Requirements”. Of course, if you already have a large enough microSD card you can download the official Linux image from the wiki pages: https://www.olimex.com/wiki/A10-...

  • Page 23: Pwr Jack

    6.3 PWR jack The power jack used is the typical DC barrel jack one used by Olimex (2.1×6.3×9.2mm) in most of our products. More information about the exact component might be found here: https://www.olimex.com/wiki/PWRJACK...

  • Page 24: Usb_Otg Connector

    A10-OLinuXino-LIME user's manual 6.4 USB_OTG connector The main way of changing the firmware image located on the NAND of A10-OLinuXino-LIME- 4GB is via the USB-OTG connector. How to change the firmware is explained after the hardware details. The part of the schematic related to the USB_OTG is shown below:...
  • Page 25 A10-OLinuXino-LIME user's manual The connector case is also grounded. We have configured an Android image with settings suitable for A10-OLinuXino-LIME. Then using PhoenixSuit tools we uploaded the image to the board via the USB OTG. The image is available for users to try and tweak the settings.

  • Page 26: Usb_Host Connectors

    OLIMEX© 2015 A10-OLinuXino-LIME user's manual 6.5 USB_HOST connectors The part of the schematic related to the USB_HOST connectors is listed below: There are two USB host connector featured on the board. They are called USB_HOST1 and USB_HOST2. Each of them has own connector, both situated near the Ethernet connector. Each of connector has own low loss power distribution switch SY6280 which protects the board in case the devices you have plugged to the board try to draw more current than 523mA combined.
  • Page 27 OLIMEX© 2015 A10-OLinuXino-LIME user's manual - 10/100Mbps operation „ - Full/half duplex operation - Supports auto crossover detection - Adaptive equalization - IEEE 802.3/802.3u compliant - Supports IEEE 802.3u clause 28; 1.8V - Operation with 3.3V IO signal tolerance and much more The Ethernet connector is grounded according to the standard (check GND1 and GND2 lines on the schematics).
  • Page 28 OLIMEX© 2015 A10-OLinuXino-LIME user's manual Ethernet Pin # Signal name The RJ45 connector has a small yellow and a small built-in LEDS and they are described below: Color Usage Right Green Link status Left Yellow Activity status Page 28 of 45...

  • Page 29: Hdmi Connector

    OLIMEX© 2015 A10-OLinuXino-LIME user's manual 6.7 HDMI connector The part of the schematic that describes the HDMI module is shown below: Note that there are different Linux images depending whether the HDMI TV works at 50Hz or 60Hz refresh rate. If you board runs Android there is a specific option to set the appropriate HDMI output.

  • Page 30: Sata Connector And Power

    OLIMEX© 2015 A10-OLinuXino-LIME user's manual 6.8 SATA connector and power The part of the schematic describing the SATA module is shown below: SATA connector Pin # Signal name Processor pin SATA-TXP SATA-TXM SATA-RXM SATA-RXP There is a 5V_SATA_PWR connector that is suitable for powering 5V hard-disks trough the board.

  • Page 31: Gpio Ports

    Three of the GPIO connectors have 40 pins and the last one has 20 pins. Note that all GPIO connectors have 0.05'' (50 mil) step between pins. Olimex sells a compatible extension cable for these connectors named CABLE-40-40-10CM. IMPORTANT: the cables and the 0.05'' connectors are very fragile – if you attempt to disconnect the setup by pulling the cable it might break! Furthermore –...
  • Page 32 OLIMEX© 2015 A10-OLinuXino-LIME user's manual LCD_VSYNC (AC9) and LCD_HSYNC (AB9) If you inspect the schematics of a board with VGA connector (like A20-OlinuXino-MICRO) carefully you would notice that there are two extra transistors on the synchronization lines. Those are transistors meant to shift the levels to 5V. The 3.3V levels from the processor might work but the standard requires 5V levels of VSYNC and HSYNC.

  • Page 33: Gpio-2 (General Purpose Input/Output) 40Pin Connector

    OLIMEX© 2015 A10-OLinuXino-LIME user's manual 6.9.2 GPIO-2 (General Purpose Input/Output) 40pin connector The GPIO pins are led out on a separate 40pin connecter. They allow the user to attach additional hardware, check readings or perform hardware debug. The GPIO-2 connector numbers are printed at the bottom of the board for your convenience.

  • Page 34: Gpio-3 (General Purpose Input/Output) 40Pin Connector

    OLIMEX© 2015 A10-OLinuXino-LIME user's manual 6.9.3 GPIO-3 (General Purpose Input/Output) 40pin connector GPIO-3 connector GPIO pin# Signal name Processor pin# GPIO pin# Signal name Processor pin# 3.3V RESET_N PH7/PB9 B4/C12 PH10 PH11 PB8/SATA-PWR-EN PH12 PB10 PH13 PB11 PH14 PB12 PH15...

  • Page 35: Lcd_Con 40Pin Connector

    Important: you need additional 40PIN ribbon cable to connect an Olimex display and the LCD_CON. The LCD connector is suitable for a number of Olimex displays and touchscreen panels with different native resolution – the smallest available is the 4.3'' one called LCD-OLinuXino-4.3TS with native screen resolution of 480×272, through the 7'' one named LCD-OLinuXino-7TS with...

  • Page 36: Jumper Description

    OLIMEX© 2015 A10-OLinuXino-LIME user's manual 6.11 Jumper description Please note that most the jumpers on the board are SMT type. If you feel insecure of your soldering/cutting technique it is better not to try to adjust the jumpers since it is possible to damage the board.

  • Page 37: Additional Hardware Components

    OLIMEX© 2015 A10-OLinuXino-LIME user's manual 6.12 Additional hardware components The components below are mounted on OLinuXino but are not discussed above. They are listed here for completeness: Reset button – used to reset the board Power button – used to reset the board Recovery button –...

  • Page 38: Chapter 7: Schematics

    You can download the whole repository as .zip without having a GitHub account. Please note that the schematics of A20-OlinuXino-LIME and A10-OlinuXino-LIME are similar and it is possible that a single board file and schematic for both boards exist.

  • Page 39: Physical Dimensions

    OLIMEX© 2015 A10-OLinuXino-LIME user's manual 7.2 Physical dimensions Note that all dimensions are in mils. Page 39 of 45...

  • Page 40: Chapter 8: Revision History And Support

    OLIMEX© 2015 A10-OLinuXino-LIME user's manual CHAPTER 8: REVISION HISTORY AND SUPPORT 8. Introduction to the chapter In this chapter you will find the current and the previous version of the document you are reading. Also the web-page for your device is listed. Be sure to check it after a purchase for the latest available updates and examples.

  • Page 41: Board Revision

    OLIMEX© 2015 A10-OLinuXino-LIME user's manual 8.2 Board revision Remember to check the schematics and the board design files to compare the differences. Board revision Notable changes Initial release of the board R12, R13 (ODT, RST) resistors are now mounted (were NA before) with 0R value otherwise the board doesn't start.

  • Page 42: Useful Web Links And Purchase Codes

    A10-ANDROID-SD – a tested class 10 micro SD card with the latest (by the time of leaving the Olimex facilities) official Android release A10-DEBIAN-SD – a tested class 10 micro SD card with the latest (by the time of leaving Olimex facilities) official Debian Linux release A10-OLinuXino-LIME-UEXT –...

  • Page 43: Frequently Asked Questions

    OLIMEX© 2015 A10-OLinuXino-LIME user's manual 8.4 Frequently asked questions Q: I power my board, it shows a logo and then nothing happens. A: This might be due to a number of reasons but it is recommended to try the following: 1.
  • Page 44 Q: Is it possible to boot Linux from the NAND memory? A: Yes, it is possible. Customers have been successful in booting from the NAND. At the time of writing this document, Olimex does not provide a suitable image, however. It would be up to you to do it.

  • Page 45: Product Support

    All goods are checked before they are sent out. In the unlikely event that goods are faulty, they must be returned, to OLIMEX at the address listed on your order invoice. OLIMEX will not accept goods that have clearly been used more than the amount needed to evaluate their functionality.

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